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3. COMPARISON WITH OTHER NARRATIONS

Sometimes a tradition is reported by several narrators. All these reports about the same saying or event are said to be the “turuq” (different ways) of that tradition. While scrutinizing a tradition, the scholars undertake a combined study of all its “ways”. If it is found that the majority of the reliable reporters narrate the hadith in a particular way, but one of them reports it in a version substantially different from that of the others, his report is held to be a “Shadh” (rare) version. In such case, despite the reliability of the reporter, his version is not accepted as a “Sahih” (correct) one, and no trust is placed on it unless it is confirmed and supported by any internal or external evidence.